The Village of Rockville Centre was established in 1893. According to the 2010 Census, it has more than 24,000 residents. (Oct. 11, 2011) Photo Credit: T.C. McCarthy

The Village of Rockville Centre was established in 1893. According to the 2010 Census, it has more than 24,000 residents. (Oct. 11, 2011) (Credit: T.C. McCarthy)

Rockville Centre officials need to tighten the financial policies that regulate the village's parks and recreation department and improve information technology controls, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in an audit released Thursday. The audit, which covered June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, said the village needs to adopt written policies for cash receipts in the recreation department. The...

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Rockville Centre officials need to tighten the financial policies that regulate the village's parks and recreation department and improve information technology controls, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in an audit released Thursday.

The audit, which covered June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, said the village needs to adopt written policies for cash receipts in the recreation department. The department "did not ensure that appropriate cash receipt documentation was maintained, reconciliations were prepared and deposits were made intact and in a timely manner," said a statement released by DiNapoli.

Additionally, the audit said, the village needs a disaster recovery plan for its information technology. Officials "should ensure that backup copies of data are stored at a secure off-site location for retrieval in case of an emergency," the audit said.

Village Comptroller Michael Schussheim and other officials said the audit was fair and that the village already is implementing DiNapoli's recommendations.

The suggestions about the recreation department are especially relevant because it is a major portion of the village's $41.8 million budget, Schussheim said. The department is budgeted for just under $2.5 million this fiscal year, he said.

"The bottom line is all monies have, and continue to be, properly accounted for," Schussheim said.

DiNapoli's audit included a recommendation that the recreation department "should ensure that deposits are made on a daily basis and the deposit slips contain sufficient documentation." The village trustee board should also "clearly define the oversight responsibilities for cash receipts to ensure proper supervisory review at the various levels of the cash receipts process," the audit said.

Village trustee Edward Oppenheimer, a certified public accountant, said DiNapoli was right to point out the need for better financial controls in the recreation department.